Apparatus for filling-receptacles or the like



H. M. SMITH. APPARATUS FOR FILLING RECEPTACLES OR THE LIKE. APPLICATHJN FILED SEPT. 30, 1918.

1,397,06 1 Patented Nov. 15, 1921,

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' g wwfw H. M. SMITH.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING RECEPTACLES OR THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.30,1918.

Patented Nov. 15, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNIT

n stares PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY INSULATING COMPANY, SETTS,. A CORPORATION OF TIIAINE.

OF GREAT HARRINGTON, MASSACHU- AJE'PARATUS FOB FILLING-RECEPTACLES OR THE LIKE.

earner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15 1921.

Application filed September 30, 1918. Serial No. 256,281.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT MrLLs SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Great Barrington, in the countyof BerL- shire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Filling-Receptacles or the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to method and apparatus for filling EtlIClCOIZlPl'GSSlIlg finely divided insulating material into the vacuous space of such an article as isshown 1n the United States patent to VVilham Stanley No. 1,071,817 for a heat-insulated receptacle.

As set forth in a co-pending appllcation for patent, it is highly desirable that the finely divided insulating material of such a receptacle should be compressed into the vacuous space to such an extent as will result in the maximum heat-insulating value and maximum of mechanical support for the spaced shells. This compression can of course be accomplished manually, butthe operation thus conducted is tedious and cannot in the nature of things be uniformly and evenly done, and it is ofv course most deslrable that thesebottles should be uniform in obvious and in part specifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles constituting the invention; and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims.

In the accompanyin drawings which are to be taken as apart otthis specificatlon and in which I haveshown a form of apparatus which is adapted for the carrying out of my process, Figure 1 is ,a front elevat on with parts in section of an apparatus for the carrying out of my invention; and Fig. 2 1s avlew partly in section and partly in elevatlon taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the numerals on the drawlugs, there is shown at 4: a hopper or reservo1r whlch 1s to contain a supply of finely divided insulating material, this hopper having a lower compartment 5 through which passes an endless bucket conveyer 6 traveling over sprockets'7, 8, 9 and 10, of which the bracket 10 may be the driving sprocket, receivlng its power through a belt or sprocket chain 11, and the sprocket 7 may be mounted in an ordinary take-up device 12 whereby any slack 1n the conveyer may be taken up from time to time. Opening out of the lower end of the compartment 5 is a revolving cylindrical retort 14, having one end rotating within the compartment 5'and the other end indicated by the numeral 15 rotating in a bearing formed at the top of a standard 16. This revolving cylindrical retort extends inside of a heating furnace 17, which may conveniently be heated by gas, the gas pipe being shown at 18 and the air pipe for supporting combustion shown at 19. This furnace is supported on suitable standards 20, which also afiord bearings for a shaft 21 having a driving pinion 22 meshing with a gear wheel 24: which is secured to the revolving cylindrical retort 14: as to a shaft, so that the rotation of'the wheel 24: causes the rotation of the cylindrical retort. At the other end of the shaft 21 there is another driving pinion 25 which meshes with a pinion 26 on the end of a stub shaft 27, driven by means of a pulley 28 and driving belt 29. The other end of the shaft 27 is supported in bracket 30, and there is a large driving pinion 31 mounted on this shaft 27 which engages with a driving pinion 32 for the centrifugal wheel.

The hub of this centrifugal wheel is inclicated at 3 & and rotates in ball bearin 35 supportedron brackets 30 and 36. The hub 3 of the centrifugal wheel is elongated on both sides; at one side it surrounds one end of a tube 37, the other end of which is held in the bearing at the top of the standard 16, forming a continuation of, but separate from the adjacent end of the revolving tain of flame made by gas burners 44.

I The bearing for the end 15 of the revolving cylinder 14 isformed as an inlet for a suction pump pipe 45, this inlet being inclicated at 46, and the pump itself at 47. V The pump is driven in any convenient way and from its shaft 48 the sproc ret 10 may be driven through sprocket chain 11.

From the construction described and as appears from the drawingit will be seen that the conveyor 6 is arranged to travel slowly through the compartment 5 containing the insulating material, carrying quantities of insulating material out of the compartment into and through the constantly revolving cylinder 14, where it is subjected to the heat of the surrounding furnace 17, thence to the other end of the rotating cylinder and into the stationary extension 37 of the rotating cylinder. At this point the heated material is subjected to the suction of the pump 47. In order that the material itself may not be drawn into the suction pipe the inlet will be aiarded referabl b a uantitv of steel 1': p y J q p wool or the like indicated at 48 suitably held in position at the inlet, this permitting the passage of air but preventing the withdrawal of the insulating material. Thence the material is carried through the extension 37 into the interior of the hollow hub 34 of the centrifugal wheel. This wheel as best indicated in Fig. 2, is provided with a plurality of radially disposed tubular seat members 50, each opening into the interior of the hub and adapted to receive a vacuum bottle 51, with the open bottom thereof presented toward the bottom of the hub. The other end of the bottle is received in an end clamp 52 movable radially toward and from the corresponding seat member 50, such movement being controlled by means of a screw 54 operating in the rim 55 of the wheel. The manner of holding the vacuum bottle is clearly shown in Fig. 1, the outer shell of the bottle appearing at, 56 and the inner shell at 57 with the vacuous space at 58 opening downwardly toward the hub, the

vacuous space being closed at the other end of the bottle. The drivingconnections are so arranged that whereas the endless conveyer and the rotating cylinder move at a slow rate ,of speed .the centrifugal wheel rotates at a very high rate of speed so that as the insulting material is brought into the bottom of the hub and subjected to the centrifugal force generated by the rapidly rotating wheel the insulating material is thrown with great force toward the rim or perimeter of the wheel, finding a path through the several tubular seating members 50 and the vacuous spaces 58 of the bottles which are virtually an extension of the seating members. Thus the insulating material is rapidly and uniformly and firmly compressed into the vacuous spaces of the bottles, the endless conveyer bringing fresh supplies of substantially heated and dehydrated material until the bottles arefilled, when the machine is stopped and the bottles removed. In order that the air initially containedwith in the bottles may not interfere with compression into the vacuous spaces of the bottle of the insulating material each bottle may be provided near the neck end of the vacuous space, with a tiny vent indicated by the numeral 60, through which the air from the interior of the bottle may escape as the insulating material is packed in. This vent will of course have to be closed immediately the bottle is filled, and at the same timethe bottom closure will have to be put on the bottle so that the insulating material will not have an opportunity to absorb moisture from the air. The furnace 17 serves to heat the material and drive off any moisture, which is positively removed through the suc tion pipe 45 before the material arrives at the centrifugal wheel; and the flame curtain produced by the burners 44 prevents the entry into the hollow hub from the other end of any moist air. Any particles of material which may travel through the hollow hub will fall into the bottom of the box 40 and may be removed from time to time by means of the door or closure 41. 61 indicates a hood for collectin products of combustion from the furnace 1 7, which go off through aopipe 62.

I claim:

1. In a device'ofthe kind described, a centrifugal member for supporting a receptacle to be loaded including a central portion open at both ends for the passage of a conveyor, an endless conveyor passing through the central portion of the centrifugal member for supplying finely divided material, the centrifugal member being provided with passages opening from the central portion thereof into the receptacles.

2. In a device of the kind described a centrifugal member for supporting a receptaole to be loaded including a central portion open at both ends for thepassage of aconveyer, anendless conveyor passing through the central portion of the centrifugal memher for supplying finely divided material, the centrifugal member being. provided with passages open from the central portion thereof into the receptacles, and means for dehydrating the finely divided material carried by the conveyer before it reaches the centrifugal member.

3. In a device of the kind described a centrifugal member for supporting a receptacle to be loaded including a central portion open at both ends for the passage of a conveyer, and endless conveyer passing through the central portion of the centrifugal member for supplying finely divided material, the centrifugal member being provided with passages open .from the central portion thereof into the receptacles, and means for heating and dehydrating the finely divided material carried by the conveyer before it reaches the centrifugal member.

l. In a device of the kind described, a centrifugal member for supporting a receptacle to be loaded including a central portion open at both ends for the passage of a conveyer. an endless conveyer passing through the central portion of the centrifugal member for supplying finely divided material, the centrifugal member being provided with passages opening from the central portion there of into the receptacles, means for heating and dehydrating the finely divided material carried by the conveyer before it reaches the centrifugal member, and means for preventing access of humid atmosphere to the finely divided material after it has been heated and before it is deposited in the receptacle.

5. In a device of the kind described, hopper, an endless conveyer passing through the hopper, a rotating cylinder through which the conveyer passes, said cylinder communicating with the hopper, a heating apparatus surrounding the cylinder, a wheel provided with a hollow hub and hollow seat members extending radially from the hub, a conduit leading from said cylinder into the hub, suction means connected to said conduit, means for holding receptacles on the hollow seat members, and means for driving the conveyer and rotating the cylinder and the wheel.

6. In a device of the kind described, a centrifugal member having a hollow hub, a series of passages radiating therefrom and means for clamping over each passage a receptacle to be filled, a hopper, a cylinder communicating at one end with the hopper and at its opposite end with the hollow hub of the centrifugal member, a heating means for the cylinder, and an endless conveyer passing through the hopper, the cylinder and the hollow hub for feeding filling material from the hopper through the cylinder to the hub.

7. In a device of the kind described, a centrifugal member having a hollow center portion and means for securing thereon receptacles to be filled, a hopper, and an endless conveyer passing through the hopper and center portion of the centrifugal member for feeding filling material from the hopper to the centrifugal member.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HERBERT M. SMITH. 

